Transcript

00:00:02

>> Ice in Antarctica is melting faster than expected, resulting in rising sea levels that could leave the world's coasts and low lying areas more vulnerable to flooding with less time to prepare. A study published Thursday in the Journal Nature said 219 billion tons of ice has been melting every year since 2012, up from 76 billion.

00:00:25

The sharp increase a big surprise, the study's lead scientist told Reuters. Antarctica's future the biggest uncertainty in understanding global warming and ocean levels. The frozen continent alone is now on track to raise sea levels by roughly 15 centimeters, or nearly 6 inches, by the year 2100, blowing past most previous estimates.

00:00:49

Such a rise would make coastal floods more damaging, threatening cities from New York to Shanghai, and low-lying nations from the Pacific Ocean to the Netherlands. Under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, nearly 200 governments set a goal of phasing out fossil fuels this century to limit global warming. US President Donald Trump plans to pull out of the pact.